Linus 'Bama BBQ Invades Itaewon's HBC Neighborhood, and what an invasion!

Address: 37-5 Yongsandong 2(i)-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Good news to American-style barbecue lovers, carnivores and foodies in Korea, the father of Southern BBQ in Korea, Linus Kim, brings his mouth-watering Southern 'Bama-style barbeque to the Haebangchon district of Itaewon, Seoul. HBC, as it is fondly called by the locals, will be getting almost the same menu as the original Linus Barbecue joint on the Itaewon main drag (well somewhat along the main drag, the original Linus is right behind McDonald's, near the Noksapyeong subway entrance). The only difference is that all the platters will be getting a side of smoked chicken.

The new Linus place is located in HBC on the main road further up the hill before you reach Olde Knives. There's no sign yet outside but the building is also occupied by S'take

So there's the bar on the first floor, with stools facing the barkeep and some facing the street for some people-watching.  The drink menu is on point, with special mention of the Long Peach teas and the very tasty Mojitos. For the non-drinkers, the No-jito (non-alcoholic version of the latter) is quite tasty despite the lack of rum.

The very yummy Nojito.

For those who want to come and get down to the business of eating good meat, the second floor is where you want to be. The style is modern and minimalist, as if they want you to mainly focus on the food (and you should). Good ol' country music blasts on the muzak. There's long benches and tables, not so comfy for those wanting cushioned seating. But once the platters of mouth-watering bbq hit the table, you wouldn't care.

Now let's get down to business. This is the menu.

Like what I mentioned before, the difference with the menu here in the HBC branch is that the platters all come with the tasty smoked chicken. Also, they have one of the juiciest sausages I have ever had in my mouth (wink-wink) called Hot Guts. To eat these tasty spicy bad boys, you need to stuff one between your buns, slather with white sauce (oh the sexual puns I can add to this) and top with the raw red onion slices that you uncover under the Hot Guts. To quote a NatGeo food host - "That is one of the tastiest things I ever had in my mouth for a very long time."

Even vegetarians are welcome here. But seriously, why???

I've made you wait for this so here are the food porn pics. Enjoy!

The Brisket Platter

The Pulled Pork Platter

The chicken was somewhat pink in the center but Linus assured us that it was thoroughly cooked. Believe me it was.

We tried out the other sides. Here we have the Deep-Fried Mac&Cheese balls, Deep Fried Pickles and Deep Fried Okra. Everything was delish and we had to order another round of these fingerlicking sides.

And here is the crazy company I keep.

Me with Jovita and Amanda

Amanda and crazy Jen (she turns to James when the sun goes down)

With new besties, Megan and Lauren. Oh that's my youngest on the far right.

And with the main man himself, Linus. If you ever in Itaewon or HBC and you have a riproaring hunger to take care of, you should def see him for GREAT barbecue. Tell him I sent you. 

On the 7th day, God said "Let the meat rest..."

*Food pics shameless stolen from the crazy company who invaded the Linus HBC joint with me. Thanks Megan, Jovita, Jennifer, Amanda and Lauren!

Savory, Scrumptious Suji's

By a stroke of luck, I was given a complimentary dinner for two at New York style-restaurant/deli Suji's Seoul. The tagline for Suji's is "the next best thing to mom's home-cooking." Since today was a holiday (Memorial Day in Korea), we left the boys at home (with plenty of food) and traveled to Itaewon to have a long-awaited dinner date.

We got to Suji's restaurant during the lunch hour madness. There was a long queue from the 2nd floor waiting area down the steps to the first floor. That was a good sign since if people were willing to line up for a long wait, the food must really be special. I talked with the manager, Ian Kim and made arrangements for lunch. Sure enough, we were already reserved a table. Too bad Ian wasn't there (I later learned he was down with the flu) but he left us in the very capable hands of his 2nd right-hand man, Kyu.



We were seated by the window and it was nice and cozy. The seats were really comfy as we sank down really low when we sat. Looking out of the window, I could see the former building of the Philippine Embassy (it has moved somewhere else in Itaewon now).



The paper table mats had whimsical designs on it. Almost made me want to ask for crayons to color the animals with but I resisted the urge. :)




Looking around the restaurant, it had a pleasant atmosphere with cozy ambiance. I noticed a lot of couples holding hands and families sharing each others meals together.



Servers were very pleasant and very articulate in English. I would commend our personal server Kyu who was very gracious and so efficient throughout our meal. Suji's waitstaff frequently scan the room for half-filled glasses and raised hands for more orders/questions. Although there was one time there that we had to wait a minute or two to find a server but then like I said it was the rush hour lunch.





But we were fine. We had the whole day to ourselves and the next thing we knew, our starters had arrived. This was hubby's house salad. It had ample greens in it and I was so glad it had a variety of veggies (not like your run-of-the-mill korean restos with just a bunch of iceberg lettuce in the bowl and a few measly strands of carrot or purple cabbage).




Now this starter, the Home Fries were AWESOME. This represents truth in advertising because it is as good as Hubby's home fries. The potatoes were done and expertly seasoned while the onions were sweet and tender, a perfect foil for the starchy cubes.



Here's hubby with his second bite of the Home Fries.



And us attacking the plate with glee.



Our entrees have finally arrived! Here's my Steak & Eggs. This is not a weekly brunch item (it is really a weekend special). I happen to mention to Kyu that I was considering the fish and chips because I knew that the Steak & Eggs won't be available. He told me that I could have it. I was blown away.




Now this is Hubby's Rib-eye plate. Like my steak, it was cooked perfectly. And it was awesome with Worcestershire sauce (ask the restaurant for this, instead of the regular Dijon steak sauce - you won't regret it!). Hubby's sides for his steak, grilled beans and stir-fried onions. This was pretty tasty, too.



And you get to see me really enjoy the food. Hubby kept asking me to smile for the camera, how can I? I was busy shoveling the food into my mouth. Suji's made my mouth very happy.




The remnants of our sumptious meal. Shall we say this is testament on how the food is so good?



Here is the wonderful Kyu who made our visit to Suji's so memorable.




Kyu offered us dessert but we were so full and satiated. The service was warm and prompt. The food was superb. As we were preparing to leave, Kyu handed us a couple of complimentary sandwich coupons for our future visits. We were floored. Not to mention handing us a package of Honey Cured Ham made in house to try at home. Bless them, we were awed. Hubby and I decided we were definitely coming back with our boys for brunch.

Korean Garlic Pizza ... bleagh.

Hubby and I went to our local grocery store and found this in the frozen section...



It looked interesting enough. Garlic Pizza. I love garlic and I love pizza. I told my hubby to get me one (it was only $2.99) and that would be my dinner for the night. When we got home, hubby ordered pepperoni pizza from Sijang Pizza (he didn't trust the packaged pizza). I opened up the package...



...and found shrimp (yay!) and pineapple (what the heck?). Pineapple belongs in a fruit cup or a salad - NEVER ON A PIZZA. I tried to pick out all the yucky pineapple chunks on it and broiled the pizza in our oven. It was bland, I couldn't taste the cheese, let alone the pizza sauce. And I was still hungry. So I took a hot slice of pepperoni pizza from my hubby's pizza and finally felt full.

Corned Beef with Cabbage Filipino Style

When I was little, I would love to read the Manila Bulletin newspaper comic section. It was a full-page of comics ranging from US cartoon strips (Peanuts, Spiderman, The Phantom, etc) but what really got my attention was a strip called "Bringing Up Father". The mom in the cartoon, Maggie, would ask Jiggs what he wanted for supper. The answer was always Corned Beef and Cabbage.

I once asked my mom to fix it and she said that she has always been fixing it. Then she pointed out that our lunch that day was corned beef and cabbage. I knew it wasn't the same thing that Jiggs wanted for supper but the Filipino version is still very tasty and satisfying.

So, I'm sharing my mom's recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage. What we use is the canned corned beef called "Argentina Corned Beef". Click here to see what it looks like: Argentina Corned Beef. It's a tiny can, maybe as big a round like a tomato paste can.

Recipe:

1 can Argentina corned beef
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp corn oil
1/2 head of cabbage, cut into shreds
2 cups beef stock or 1 beef boullion cube + 2 cups water

1. In a wok, heat up the oil and fry the garlic until golden-brown. Add the onion slices and stir-fry until the onions are translucent.

2. Open the can of corned beef and dump the contents into the pan. Stir-fry everything for about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir-fry everything for a minute.

3. Add the beef stock. Cover and bring to a boil. When it starts boiling, take the cover off and let simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked (to your liking, I like mine a still with some crunch).

4. Take off the heat and serve into bowls.

This is a good side dish for fried fish like "galunggong" (Scad). Of course, with freshly cooked rice, too.

Ampalaya and Sardinas (Bitter Gourd with Sardines in Tomato Sauce)

I used to hate "ampalaya" or Bitter Gourd in English. It is also called "amargoso" in some parts of the Philippines. Ampalaya is usually served thinly sliced with beaten egg (like a veggie scrambled egg stir-fry) or sauteed with beef slices and then drenched with a thick oyster sauce-based dressing.

What changed my mind about the ampalaya? My friend and neighbor Elena had a vegetable garden and she grew ampalaya there. She kept trying to give me ampalaya fruit which I constantly refused, recalling my childhood days of being forced to eat the bitter vegetable. She assured me that her ampalaya wasn't that bitter and with proper preparation, most of the bitterness would be gone anyway. I changed my mind and accepted several ampalaya fruit. It was wonderful. And not bitter at all.

The ampalaya dish I made today for breakfast is Ampalaya and Sardinas (Canned Sardines in Tomato Sauce). The sardines I used is of the Ligo brand (I think the most popular canned sardines in the Philippines). You can get for a buck here (which means it's probably 40 to 50 cents back in Manila.

So on to the recipe.

RECIPE

1 medium-sized ampalaya
1 can of sardines in tomato sauce (any brand will do, even the spicy one)
1/4 cup rock salt
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cooking oil

1. Wash the ampalaya, cut the ends off and then cut in half. Using a spoon, scrape the inner white portion of the fruit (that has seeds in it) until you come to the firm green flesh. Cut into thin slices, pile into a bowl and mix thoroughly with rock salt. (This will leach most of the bitterness out of the sliced ampalaya). Set aside.

2. Get a wok or pan and set over medium fire. Add the oil and when it is hot, add the garlic and fry until golden-brown. Then add the onion slices and stir-fry until the onion is translucent.

3. Wash and rinse the ampalaya slices. Drain and add the ampalaya to the pan. Stir-fry everything for about 2 minutes.

4. Open the can of sardines and dump everything into the pan. Add about a can of water (use the empty can for measurement) and add that to the pan too. If you like, break up the whole sardines into little pieces. Stir everything and let simmer.

5. When the sauce has reduced to half, the dish is done. Turn off the heat and serve with rice.



This dish is usually served for lunch but like what i said, I had it for breakfast. Well, brunch technically since I woke up late (almost lunchtime). Ampalaya is rich with iron and is usually prescribed to persons with anemia. It is also promotes digestion. Recent studies are now looking to ampalaya extract to help combat HIV infections. Now if that is not enough for you to try ampalaya, I don't know what will. All I know, my brunch this morning was really mighty tasty. And healthy too. ;)

Making Deokkbokki (Korean Ricecakes in Red Pepper Sauce)

Deokkbokki is a popular street snack in Korea. You can find it almost anywhere there is a food cart. Most food sellers have a hot plate of deokkbokki in its fiery red sauce, simmering away. Deokkbokki is basically long rice sticks cooked in gochujang (korean red pepper paste). The basic ingredients also include slices of fish cake, leeks, onions and sometimes whole boiled eggs.

Korean kids usually buy it in a paper cup (costs about 50 cents) and eat it with a toothpick (which they use to stab the deokk (rice cake) and shovel it into their mouths. The first time I tasted it, it was so hot that it brought tears to my eyes. But kids here are so used to the spiciness that it doesn't faze them a bit. I have to drink two gulps of water before I can eat another rice cake.

I finally had a chance to learn how to make this snack when hubby's school hosted an post-Christmas party for the kids. Stella, the school's secretary, showed me step-by-step on how to fix deokkbokki. I can't believe how simple it was. She had to fix large amounts of deokkbokki for the school event so I'll include measurements in ( ) for those who want to fix a regular amount of it.

In a flat-bottom pan, add the following (1 cup) julienned cabbage, (1/2 cup) sliced leeks, (1 tbsp minced garlic) and (about 2 cups) water. Turn the heat up to medium and let it come to simmer.

Add about (2-3 tbsp) gochujang. This is red pepper paste and can usually be found in Korean grocery stores or Asian food marts. If you need some, email me and I'll send you some authentic homemade gochujang. There's a large jar in my fridge and I swear this stuff lasts forever.

Next is a very important step, the sugar. Yes, deokkbokki has some sugar in it, this is to counter the gochujang flavor. Add about a (tablespoon or two) of sugar.

Last is beef bouillion powder. Stella says that this is optional since one can use plain salt and pepper. I used about (1 tbsp) of beef bouillon powder. Stella also added a smidgen of MSG (I know some of you are cringing about this but I use it too). You can omit this too, if you prefer. Mix everything up and continue to let it simmer.

Now cut the deokk into 2-inch pieces and the fish cake into 2X3 inch slices. If the deokk you bought is fresh (like what is available here for me) you can simply add the pieces to the pan. If they are packaged and bought from the supermarket, you would need to soak them in hot water for 5 minutes and then drained before adding to the pan. You would need about (4 cups of) sliced rice and 2 cups sliced fish cakes. Add both the rice cakes and fish cakes to the pan ( that would be simmering by now). Mix everything very well and let simmer until the sauce has reduced and become sticky.

Taste the sauce before turning off the heat. See if it needs more salt, more sugar. Or if it is too sticky, add more water to it. And if it is too watery, just let it cook a little longer. To avoid using beef bouillon, I suggest using vegetable or chicken stock. And deokk or rice cake doesn't only come in long thin tubes. Some shapes are thin oval slices, long big tubes (the size of water hoses) and even fun shapes like snowman figures. You can use any shape you want. And optional ingredients also include slices of shitakke mushrooms, sliced carrots, broccoli, etc.

Next time, I'll post another deokkbokki recipe, only this time, the sauce is soy-sauce based. :)

Ginataang Langka (Jackfruit in Coconut Milk)

This recipe reminds me so much of home. "Langka" or Jackfruit is a very common fruit in the Philippines. The fruit and the seeds are used in a variety of desserts, most notably in "Halo-Halo" and "Guinataan". The whole unripe fruit (peeled of course) is used in savory viands like "Ginataang Langka" or Green Jackfruit simmered in coconut milk.

This side dish is very rich and creamy and is a perfect foil for fried pork or fried/grilled fish. Make sure that the unripe or green jackfruit is peeled when you buy it or peeling it means a lot of sticky sap on your hands, cutting board and clothes. My grandmother used to oil her hands, knife and cutting board when she cuts unripe jackfruit. This helps get rid of the sticky sap easily (the sap also causes an unremovable stain on clothes).

One easy way is to get canned unripe jackfruit. I found one in a foreigner food store in Geumhang (about 30 minutes away by bus). The canned green jackfruit cost about $3.50 and is from Thailand.

Recipe
1 can of green jackfruit or 2 cups of peeled, fresh unripe jackfruit
1 can coconut cream or 1 packet of coconut powder mixed with half cup of warm water
1 cup of coconut milk or 1 packet of coconut powder mixed with 1 cup of warm water
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup of cooked sliced pork
1/2 onion, sliced
1 smoked fish or dried fish, boned and flaked
1 green chili pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce

1. If the jackfruit is fresh, cut into bite-size pieces and cook in boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes until tender. If your using canned, just slice into 2 inch bite size pieces.

2. In a wok or deep pan, turn up the heat to medium and add the oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add pork and stir for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the jackfruit to the pan plus the cup of coconut water. Let cook until it starts to simmer.

4. Add the flaked fish and fish sauce. You can substitute 1/2 tbsp of rock salt if you don't want to us the latter.

5. Add sliced green chili peppers to the pan and continue to simmer until it reduces to half the amount.

6. Add the coconut cream at the end and just let it simmer for a minute and then turn off the heat.

Serve hot with rice and your choice of pork or fish.